Recirculating vaporizing liquid fuel burner



Jan.` 25, 1955 C, R, GlLMORE 2,700,417

VAPORIZING LIQUID FUEL RECIRCULATING BURNER Filed May s, 1951 4 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. CLEMEA/ T R. G/LMOHE A 7' TURA/EVS Jan. 25, 1955 c. R. GILMORE 2,700,417

vAPoRIzING LIQUID FUEL RECIRCULATING BURNER Filed May s, 1951 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLEMENT R. GILMORE ATTORNEYS Jan. 25, 1955 c. R. GILMORE vAPoRIzING LIQUID FUEL RECIRCULATING BURNER Filed May 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 O n 1 1 4 7 8 d\ u o x u o 3 o w o., 7 o 0 0 0 E w 0 o 0 /e 4 O 0 0 wx? r o o o o o 0 O \u o w o M 5 O J 7 o O O o o o l o `o 1I |Io||o1l o 4 O 0 8 IH o /U Il il H, O 0 0 n 7 u/ o 2 \8. A D 8| I In O 0 1l) 4 6 c 0 /m m o /7 8 v VN Il m. m m m CLEMENT f?. G/LMOH A 7' TOR/VE YS Jan. 25, 1955 c. R. GILMORE 2,700,417

VAPORIZING LIQUID FUEL RECIRCULATING BURNER Filed May 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. CLEMENT R. G/LMORE ATTORNEYS United States Patent O RECIRCULATING vAPoRIZlNG LIQUID FUEL BURNER Clement R. Gilmore, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application May 8, 1951, Serial No. 225,215 12 claims. (C1. 15s-91) The present invention relates to liquid fuel burners and particularly to vaporizing burners in which liquid hydrocarbon fuel is vaporized, mixed with air, and then burned. y

A principal object of liquid fuel burner design for many years has been the provision of a vaporizing burner which will burn cleanly and rapidly. It h as also been sought to provide a vaporizing burner capable of effecting complete combustion of catalytic fuel oils. The desirability and advantages of such a vaporizing burner has been completely set forth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 216,026, for Oil Burner filed March 16, 1951, now abandoned.

The present invention contemplates provision of a recirculating member in association with a vaporizing chamber. The operation of this member is to cause incoming air supplied to the burner to sweep rapidly again and again over the surface of liquid fuel supplied to the burner. The resultant tight circular motion of the gases greatly increases the rate of vaporization at the fuel surface and also acts to rapidly disperse the vaporized liquid fuel in the air so as to insure maintenance of a high vapor pressure at the surface of the fuel. Air is constantly supplied to this tight circle of moving gases and vapor-air mixture is constantly removed so that the entire operation is continuous and the dispersion of the vapor in the circulating air never reaches the point where vapor pressure on the liquid fuel surface is substantially reduced.

The combination of the recirculator herein disclosed with the vaporizing oil burner disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 216,026, referred to above, is particularly advantageous. However, it is to be understood that the recirculator may be combined with conventional vaporizing burners in order to remarkably irnprove the performance thereof. Heretofore the most successful conventional pot type burners have smoked and given off unburned ends in intermediate stages and in the pilot fire stage when an oil pilot has been employed. This has been particularly the case with respect to catalytic oils which to date have not been useable in vaporizing burners due to the resulting extremely dirty flames. The effective operation of the vapor generating portion has heretofore been dependent largely on the reception of radiant heat of ensuing combustion. The present recirculator, however, acts as a self-sustaining generating chamber which supplies itself with heat and combustible gases and operates independently of the radiant qualities of final or high fire combustion.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a recirculator which will increase the capacity and completeness of combustion of vaporizing type liquid fuel burners.

Another object is to provide a burner of the vaporizing type in which vapor generation is rendered self-sustaining independently of the supply of radiant heat from the final stages of combustion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a re circulating vaporzing liquid fuel burner, the heating capacity and rate of combustion of which is higher than that of any previous vaporizing burners of comparable ize.

A further object of the invention is to provide a high capacity vaporizing liquid fuel burner utilizing a recirculator and having a simple and inexpensive electric igniter forming a part of the recirculator so as to permit ready ignition within the vaporizing chamber even when Patented Jan. 25, 1955 rice cool air is being initially pumped into the chamber and directed down on incoming liquid fuel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a preferred form of vaporizing burner utilizing the recirculator.

Figure 1A is a section taken on line 1A1A in Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the recirculator in association with another conventional pot burner.

Figure 4 is an isometric view of the recirculator shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the recirculator shown in Figure l.

In Figure 1 the vaporizing chamber of retort 10 circumferentially surrounds an air distributing head 11. The inner end of the retort is closed by a wall 12 having a boss 13 formed therein. The lower side of the outer end of the retort is extended outwardly and has a transverse vertical wall 14 at its outer end thereby forming a tray extension. The tray extension preferably is enclosed by a top wall 14A having a transverse vent opening 14B formed toward the outer end thereof.

An air conduit carried in boss 13 extends to just beyond the wall 14 and comprises two sections 15 and 16 divided by the air head 11. The head 11 may be formed by spaced facing flanges 17 and 18 formed on the sections 15 and 16 and held in spaced position by bolts 19 and spacing sleeves 20. Another air distributing head 21 is located at the outer end of the conduit section 16 and may be formed by a flange 22 on section 16 and an end plate 23 held in position by bolts 24 and spacer sleeves 25. The flange 22 preferably rests against the outside of the tray end wall 14. The portion of the end plate 23 lying below the wall 14 has an inwardly extending flange 27 formed thereon. If desired, several holes may be drilled in flange 27 to promote combustion adjacent the wall 14 and increase heating of the tray extension.

Surrounding the inner end of the retort is a jacket 30 which fits around and supports the circumferential flange 31 formed on the retort 10. The end flange 33 formed on the jacket 30 fits closely around the cylindrical outside wall of the retort 10. The flanges 31 and 33 define a chamber 34. An air duct 35 leading from a suitable blower is welded to the jacket 30. A series of holes or other passageways 38 are formed in the flange 31. A smaller series of axially extending passages 39 are formed in the flange 33 but preferably these holes only extend around that portion of flange 33 which is above the tray-like extension of the retort 10.

Passing through the jacket 30 and opening into the lower portion of the retort is an oil inlet 40. This inlet may be connected with any suitably controlled supply of oil. The bottom of the retort 10 is preferably flattened as at 37 so that incoming oil initially forms a thin wide smear on the flattened bottom.

The recirculator illustrated in Figure l comprises a flat ring 51 and a cylindrical ring 52. The ring 52 may be supported on the ring 51 by suitable connecting members 53. The recirculator is preferably constructed as a removable unit. When in place the ring 51 lits snugly against the inside of the retort 10. The ring 51 is slightly cut away as at 54 so that formation of an oil smear on the bottom of the retort is not necessarily limited to that portion of the retort bottom which is inward of the ring 51.

Air flows radially outwardly from the circumference of the air head 11. The radially moving air passes through the gap between the ring 51 and the ring 52. The air is then forced to curl around behind the ring 52 and back out toward the mouth of the retort. A large portion of the air leaving the recirculator is carried along by freshly supplied air from the head 11 so that there is always a substantial degree of recircula- The paths of air recirculating all along the circumference of the recirculator form a torus around the circumference of the .retort chamber adjacent the closed end. That portion of the air which is initially-directed downwardly by the air head 11 impinges .directly `,and .at a relatively high velocity on the oil smear at the bottom of the retort. The tight circular motion around the recirculator greatly increases the rate of vaporization of the oil smear and also acts to rapidly disperse the vaporized Yoil .around the tight torus .of recirculating Lair, permitting the rapid vaporization to Vbe maintained.

The inclusion of the recirculator in the 4burner makes possible the installation of a very simple and effective electric ignitor. The -igm'tor comprises a porous ceramic lava blockSS cut to form a segment in the bottom ofthe ring S1 and cemented or otherwise suitably fastened into place. A hot coil 56 yis secured in a depression 57 formed inthe top of-the ceramic block. Aplurality of-capillary passages 58 `communicate with the bottom 37 of the retort/chamber. The Vleads forithe heating coil (not shown) are preferably carried out through the chamber formed by the tray-like extension kof the retort chamber.

The elevated hot coil is out of the direct path of the blast of air directed from the air head 11 and will heat very quickly even when cool air under pressure is ybeing delivered vby the air lhead 11 immediately after the burner is turned on and before combustion occurs. The location of the hot .coil enables it to effectively initiate the rise to full tire. As oil initially ows into the bottom of the retort-and under the cutaway S4, a small amount of the oil rises in the capillary passages 58 `and is ignited by the hot coil. The resulting flame is carried down around the ring 52 bythe recirculating air and quickly induces vaporization from the bottom of the retort.

To intensify the initial flame, radial fins 45 may be provided on either side of the oil inlet 40. These `fins tend to channel the initial flame in a yrelatively narrow path adjacent the `inlet 40 so that the flame is clean and intense even when firing first commences.

In Figure 3 the present invention is shown utilized in another conventional type of pot burner having an outer housing 70, a retort chamber 71 and a flange 72 defining a jacket chamber 73. Air is supplied to the chamber through the inlet aperture 74. The wall of the retort chamber is provided with a plurality of air inlets admitting air from the jacket chamber 73. The base of the retort chamber 71 is preferably domed as at 75 `to define a iiat annular gutter 76 to which oil is admitted through oil inlet77.

The recirculating ring illustrated in Figure 4 is placed in the bottom of the retort chamber 71. The flat ring 80 is supported radiallyoutwardly from the cylindrical ring 81 by suitable support means such as the radial members 82. The bottom of the cylindrical ring 81preferably rests on the annular juncture of the dome 75 and the gutter 76. A relatively low row of air inlets S4 are slanted to direct air downward toward the gap between the rings 80 and 81.

It will be apparent that air supplied through the inlets 84 will be recirculated in a toroid path similar to the path described by air directed from the air distributor 11 in Figure l. The recirculating air sweeps rapidly over the oil in the gutter 76 to greatly increase the rate of vaporization of the oil smear and also to rapidly disperse the vaporized oil around the tight torus of recirculating A small aperture 87 may be provided in the Vring radially outwardly through this aperture and a burning object dropped on the dome 75 will thus quickly initiate firing of the recirculatinggases through the aperture. Alternatively, an electric hot coil may be provided adjacent the aperture.

It is to be understood that in the sense of the claims wall may include conduit or boss members such as i5, 16, and 13 which participate in defining a toroid shaped chamber in which recirculation occurs.

It will be apparent from the above disclosure that this .invention is not limited to the particular structural embodiments setforth but, rather, that its scope is to be determined solely by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In an oil burner, a retort chamber having an outer open end and an inner closed end horizontally Vspaced from said outerend, .a tray extending out fromsaid open end, a -flatformed on the :bottom of;said.tray, .saidziiat extending. into the inner endpof said chamber,.air ,conduit .means extending.. fromsaidyclosed endgthroughlsaid Vacuum caused by the recirculation draws gases' chamber and beyond said open end, a ilat ring positioned transversely insaid chamber `and fitting against the side walls of said chamber, a cylindrical ring positioned in said chamber and spaced inwardly from said flat ring to form a gap between said cylindrical ring and said flat ring, means to support said rings in spaced relation, said cylindrical ring having a smaller radius than the side walls of said chamber, means to supply oil to the inner end of saidchamber, said conduit having the only orifices withinsaid retort and said orifices being directed toward said gap whereby a substantial portion of said air will be forced .to circulate around vone of said rings and oil supplied through said oil supply means will be swept by circulating air, and a ycover on said tray extending from the outer end of said tray inwardly to said at ring.

2. In an oil burner, a lretort chamber having an outer open end and an inner closed end horizontally spaced from said outer end, a tray extending out from said open end, a iiat formed on the bottom of said tray, said flat extending into the `inner end of said chamber, air;conduit .means extending from said closed -end through said `chamber and beyond said open end, a flat ring positioned transversely insaid chamber and fitting against the side walls of said chamber, a cylindrical ring positioned in said chamber and spaced inwardly from said fiat ring to form a gap between said cylindrical ring and said Yflat ring, means to support said rings in spaced relation, 'said cylindrical ring having a smaller radius than the side walls of saidchamber, means to supply oil to the inner end of said chamber, said conduit having the only orifices within said retort and said orifices being directed toward said gap whereby 4a substantial portion of said air will be forced to circulate around one of said rings and koil supplied through said oil supply means will be swept 'by circulating air, a cover on said tray extending from the outer end ,of said tray inwardly to said fiat ring, the bottom portion of said flat ring adjacent said at comprising a segmentof electrically non-conducting high temperature ,resistant material having capillary vertical passages therein, and anelectric heating element adjacent the top of said segment.

3. In a liquid fuel burner, a retort-chamber having an open end and a closed end, means to introduce liquid fuel adjacent said closed end, baflie means adjacent said closed end, said baiiie means and the walls of said retort chamber defining a toroid path, means to contain said liquid fuel adjacent said toroid path, means to introduce air under pressure tangentially into said toroid path in such a direction that air Vleaving said toroid path will have to substantially normally cross the path of said tangentially introduced air, and means to supply additional air adjacent the open end of said retort chamber, said bafe means comprising a cylindrical ring anda at ring having a common axis and being spaced from each other.

4. A liquid fuel burner comprising a retort chamber having an outer open end and an inner closed end, a recirculator baflie located within said chamber, said baf- .e comprising a cylindrical ring and a fiat ring, said flat ring being spaced from said cylindrical ring and positioned transversely in said chamber and fitting against the side walls of said chamber, means to support said rings in spaced relation, said baie and the walls of said vretort defining .acircuitous path, means to introduce air tangentially into said circuitous path in such a direction that air leaving said circuitous path will have to substantially normally cross the path of said tangentially introduced air, and means to supply additional air adjacent the open end of said retort chamber.

5. In a liquid fuel burner, baflie and wall means defining a toroid shaped chamber having an open end and a closed end,-means to supply liquid fuel to said chamber atsaid closed end, means in a chamber wall to supply air and sweep it over said fuel in a tight toroid path whereby vaporized fuel is rapidly swept away and intimately mixed with the air, said means to sweep air comprising means to cause substantially all air which has swept over the liquid fuel to pass along said wall containing said means to supply air and cross the path of incoming air supplied by said means to supply air and be thereupon urged toward said open end of the chamber, and means to supply `additional air adjacent said open end.

6. Inaliquidfuelburner, a -vaporizing chamber having =.a.closed .end .andan ;open;cnd, means to supply V.liquid fuel to` saidchamberfatgsaid closed end, means to sweep air over said liquid fuel in a tight annular toroid path whereby vaporized fuel is rapidly swept away and intimately mixed with the air, said means to sweep air comprising spaced annular baffle means defining a gap therebetween within said chamber and causing substantially all air directed toward said gap to be forced to circulate around said toroid path, and means to direct incoming fresh air toward said gap.

7. In a liquid fuel burner, a vaporizing chamber having a closed end and an open end, means to supply liquid fuel to said chamber at said closed end, means to sweep air over said liquid fuel in a tight annular toroid path whereby vaporized fuel is rapidly swept away and intimately mixed with the air, said means to sweep air comprising means to cause substantially all air which has swept over the liquid fuel to substantially normally cross the path of incoming freshly supplied air and to be thereupon urged toward said open end, and means to supply additional air adjacent said open end.

8. In a liquid fuel burner, a retort chamber having an open end and a closed end, means to introduce liquid fuel adjacent said closed end, baffle means adjacent said closed end, said baffle means and the walls of said retort. chamber defining a toroid path, means to contain said liquid fuel adjacent said toroid path, means to introduce air under pressure tangentially into said toroid path in such a direction that air leaving said toroid path will have to cross the path of said tangentially introduced air, and means to supply additional air adjacent the open end of said retort chamber, said baille means comprising a cylindrical ring and a at ring having a common axis and being spaced from each other, said flat ring being positioned against the side walls of said chamber, said cylindrical ring being spaced from said side walls and said closed end of said chamber.

9. In a liquid fuel burner, a retort chamber having an open end and a closed end, means to introduce liquid fuel adjacent said closed end, baffle means adjacent said closed end, said bafe means and the walls of said retort chamber dening a toroid path, means to contain said liquid fuel adjacent said toroid path, means to introduce air under pressure tangentially into said toroid path in such a direction that substantially all air leaving said toroid path will have to cross the path of said tangentially introduced air, and means to supply additional air adjacent the open end of said retort chamber, said bame means comprising a cylindrical ring and a flat ring having a common axis and being spaced from each other, said flat ring being positioned between said cylindrical ring and the side walls of said chamber and in spaced relation with said cylindrical ring, said side walls and said closed end of said chamber.

10. In a liquid fuel burner, a vaporizing chamber having a closed end and an open end, means to supply liquid fuel to said chamber at said closed end, means to sweep air over said liquid fuel in a tight annular toroid path whereby vaporized fuel is rapidly swept away and intimately mixed with the air, said means to sweep air comprising spaced annular baille means defining a gap therebetween within said chamber and causing substantially all air directed toward said gap to be forced to circulate around said toroid path, and means to direct incoming fresh air toward said gap, said spaced annular baille means comprising a cylindrical ring and a flat ring having a common axis and being spaced from each other.

l1. In a liquid fuel burner, a vaporizing chamber having a closed end and an open end, means to supply liquid fuel to said chamber at said closed end, means to sweep air over said liquid fuel in a tight annular toroid path whereby vaporized fuel is rapidly swept away and intimately mixed with the air, said means to sweep air cornprising spaced annular baflle means defining a gap therebetween within said chamber and causing substantially all air directed toward said gap to be forced to circulate around said toroid path, and means to direct incoming fresh air toward said gap, said spaced annular baille means comprising a cylindrical ring and a flat ring having a common axis and being spaced from each other, said flat ring being positioned against the side walls of said chamber, said cylindrical ring being spaced from said side walls and said closed end of said chamber.

l2. In a liquid fuel burner, a vaporizing chamber having a closed end and an open end, means to supply liquid fuel to said chamber at said closed end, means to sweep air over said liquid fuel in a tight annular toroid path whereby vaporized fuel is rapidly swept away and intimately mixed with the air, said means to sweep air comprising spaced annular baille means defining a gap therebetween within said chamber and causing substantially all air directed toward said gap to be forced to circulate around said toroid path, and means to direct incoming fresh air toward said gap, said spaced annular baille means comprising a cylindrical ring and a flat ring having a common axis and being spaced from each other, said flat ring being positioned between said cylindrical ring and the side walls of said chamber and in spaced relation with said cylindrical ring, said side walls and said closed end of said chamber.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,985,957 Spear Ian. 1, 1935 2,195,617 Clarkson Apr. 2, 1940 2,258,679 Hayter Oct. 14, 1941 2,290,544 DeLancey July 21, 1942 2,302,287 Behrendt et al Nov. 17, 1942 2,339,637 Hayter Jan. 18, 1944 2,386,556 Huston Oct. 9, 1945 2,401,086 Little May 28, 1946 2,404,039 Castle July 16, 1946 2,466,563 Stempel et al Apr. 5, 1949 2,517,399 McCollum Aug. 1, 1950 2,535,923 Hill Dec. 26, 1950 

